Garcia grew up loving the Lakers even though he was a continent away in Florida.

"The Lakers were one of the teams I followed when I was a kid in Florida because of Jerry West and Wilt Chamberlain and Elgin Baylor," Garcia said. "We didn't have a team in Florida. And my first exposure was watching the games on television. We wouldn't have games on TV every night, but when the Lakers were in the playoffs you'd get much more exposure to them."

Garcia received the ultimate L.A. welcome when he attended his first Lakers game at the Forum as a guest of Lakers owner Dr. Jerry Buss. Garcia, who has had season tickets since the early '80s, now watches his beloved team from his seats in the fourth row opposite of the Lakers bench.

NBA.com caught up with Andy Garcia. See what he had to say about being a Lakers fan.